YouTubeTV might drop "Disney Bundle," which includes all of ESPN

[Auggie]

Received this email on December 13th:

To Our Members

December 13, 2021
In order to make 85+ channels available to you on YouTube TV, we partner with content owners. From time to time, our partnerships need to be renewed to ensure we continue to offer a strong lineup at a competitive and fair price.

We are now in negotiations with Disney to continue distributing their content on YouTube TV. Our deal will expire on Friday, December 17, 2021. We have not yet been able to reach an equitable agreement, so we want to give you a heads-up so that you can understand your choices.

Disney is an important partner for us. We are in active conversations with them and are working hard to keep their content on YouTube TV. Our ask of Disney, as with all of our partners, is to treat YouTube TV like any other TV provider – by offering us the same rates that services of a similar size pay, across Disney's channels for as long as we carry them.

We welcome a renewed agreement provided we can reach equitable terms with Disney. However, if we are unable to reach a deal by Friday, the Disney-owned channels will no longer be available on YouTube TV starting December 17, and we will decrease our monthly price by $15, from $64.99 to $49.99 (while Disney content remains off of our platform).

We would love every member to stay with our service, but we give you the flexibility to pause or cancel your membership at any time. If you want to continue watching some of Disney’s content, consider signing up for their own service, The Disney Bundle, which they offer for $13.99/month and which is subject to its own terms and restrictions.

We will share any further updates here as we seek a resolution for you, our members.

Thanks for your patience and for being a YouTube TV member.

LINK: https://tv.youtube.com/learn/disney2021-update/

The "Disney Bundle":

Which channels and related VOD content will I lose if the deal with Disney expires?

Your local ABC channel
ABC News Live
Disney Channel
Disney Junior
Disney XD
Freeform
FX
FXX
FXM
National Geographic
National Geographic Wild
ESPN
ESPN2
ESPN3 (by authentication to the ESPN app)
ESPNU
ESPNEWS
SEC Network
ACC Network

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Biggest loss IMO? ESPN.

[Sherman A1]

1. If I was subscribed to YouTube TV

I would see this as a benefit. Lower costs and channels gone that mean nothing to me.

[Auggie]

3. It's a big loss if sports are important

[Sherman A1]

4. I completely agree

However in my case they are not and I would see the savings as more of a benefit. Sorta like telling me I would no longer get the home shopping channels, but my bill would be lower. It would be a good thing.

[Tomconroy]

2. I'll miss ABC but fifteen bucks is fifteen bucks.

[Mary in S. Carolina]

5. I think it is great news!

This is a step towards unbundling, if you want the Disney Bundle you can buy it separately and you will be at the same price as if it were bundled.

I have been trying to find a streaming service without Faux News with no luck. Also, Disney, OAN, Fox, CNN and MSNBC largest institutional shareholder are Vanguard and Blackrock (via various corporations).

We need laws that disclose, to the public, all foreign shareholders and anti-trust laws against institutional shareholders.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

6. Totally personal preference, but huge loss to me Glad I saw this - was thinking about switching

[Auggie]

7. Decision will be made December 17

For what’s it worth, I think the YouTubeTV DVR service is excellent. Streaming reliability is good too.